How to prepare your child with a disability for travel 

The article below is on How to prepare your child with a disability for travel

Travel can be an exhausting experience for adults and children alike. As travel includes new situations, new faces and uncertainty, this may sometimes lead to anxiety and challenges for children. Here are some tips and suggestions for parents and caregivers to prepare your child for travel (verified by parents from the Nayi Disha parent community)-

Your child should be given all relevant information. The itinerary, the places covered, arrival and departure dates and times. The more information the child gets, the better he/she can prepare for the journey mentally and feel more involved and in control.

If you are visiting friends or relatives they have not met or interacted with much, it is a good idea to show them photographs of the people you will meet. Also, take this opportunity to explain your relationship to the said people.

In case of the first visit to an airport or railway/bus station, one way to break it down is to make a small visual presentation or gather some photos of the various things that happen at an airport as one enters and makes their way to the flight. This way, they do not feel it is a completely alien place.  Additionally, you can add more elements of visualisation that include graphics of fastening seat belts on an airplane, boarding pass photos and photos of the destination.

4. Repeat the story
Even if you have walked them through the experience once, try and repeat this process the day before the travel. This will give your child the required orientation for travel and make them feel more confident as they too will recall some steps along with you and feel less anxious or afraid.

Pick things that mean comfort to your child – their favourite toy, favourite blanket, favourite t-shirt or book. Make sure this item travels with you throughout the journey. This will make your child comfortable and assured.

While travelling, make sure you keep at least an hour of time as a buffer in addition to your usual buffer time as planned. This hour will help you avoid a last-minute rush in transit that can add to anxiety and insecurity. It will also help you manage your child’s state better and prepare them for an actual day. Time is your friend, use it wisely.

Do you have any more suggestions for how to prepare your child with a disability to travel or on how to travel with your child and prepare them for travel? Write to us at contactus@nayi-disha.org and we would love to add them here or share them on our social media.

You can also check out the article behaviour management in Autism: Stripping off clothing in public. 

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can either call or what’s app us. Our counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and also Bengali.